The 19th century “Home for the Friendless”

The New York Magdalene Asylum. The Midnight Mission. The Home for Little Wanderers.

Nineteenth century New Yorkers built scores of private charitable institutions, each serving a different group in need—and with a different grimly illustrious name.

One of those was the Home for the Friendless. Constructed by the American Female Guardian Society in 1847, the home’s mission was “to protect, befriend, and train to virtue and usefulness those to whom no one seemed to have thought or pity,” according to King’s Handbook of New York City, published in 1892.

Basically the home took in orphaned and homeless girls as well as boys under age 11. And between all the deadly illnesses, tough work conditions, and disasters back then, there were lots of them.

Located on 30th Street between Madison and Park Avenue South (above, from Impressions of New York), the home “received and cared for [children] until they could be placed in Christian homes.”

Right, a photo of the Home’s chapel on East 29th Street

In 1891, the home had 446 “inmates,” as they were called then. The Society moved the home to the Bronx in 1901, and in 1974, they merged with another charity in New York State.

The first representation in particular looks like pretty nice digs for the friendless/homeless. I wonder how the children were treated. I also wonder if anyone is able to trace their history back to a grandparent who grew up in one of these homes.

My Grandfather James Neal was in this orphanage when he was a child. His Mother had died and his Father could no longer keep him or his two brothers. They had a sister that had passed away.
The boys were put on an orphan train. They eventually ended up in Boone County Missouri. Even though they were seperated as children, they somehow kept in touch and grew old together.
I have all of the records from the family and personally traced their beginnings with help from my Grandfather before he passed away.

I recently discovered that my grandmother was listed as a resident (inmate) at this home. I found this in the 1900 census. I am trying to find info about her parents (German immigrants) who must have died around 1899 – 1900. She was 20 years old and went to Texas 5 years later and married my grandfather. I would love to see any vital statistics records of these residents.

Hello….my father was placed here in 1913 at age 3 by his mother Anna Smith….his name was Harry R. Smith….and lived there until he was 17….I don’t know much about his childhood….he died in 1968….if you have any info. I would really appreciate it….thanks! Kenneth A. Smith
Penfield NY

Just discovered that my great grandmother may have been an inmate in 1860 when she was 7 years old. Don’t know what her story was getting there or during her stay there. In 1870 she was married to my great-grandfather, Henry V. Leaycraft in NYC. I am trying to learn as much as possible about their stories.

My grandmother, Ethel Kitchner, and two of her brothers were sent there when they were all under the age of 7 (1920). She never spoke of it to anyone. My dad never knew of a third brother that seems to have disappeared between 1917 and 1920.

do you know where this home was located? The 1870 census has it in Ward 21, District 17. I am reseaching a Arthur C. Seal who was listed there is 1870 at 8 years old. There are two other Seal children, John age 10 and Mary age 5…they may be siblings. Am wondering who were the parents and what happened to them?

I have ancestry.com,too, but exactly how can I access a person in my family who was “adopted” at age 14 in 1863 from this institution and later became my g-grandmother? When I search on her name the 1860 (or earlier) census does not come up. Maybe she wasn’t there then. By 1870 she is married, living in Connecticut. Thanks for your response.
Good luck in your search. Google brings up some history of the locations.

Quite possibly she wasn’t there in 1860, I have a feeling they probably didn’t stay long before being adopted out. No luck in 1860 with a family? Was she born in the US? Possibly immigrated with family and they got here and had to put the child there for financial reasons? Just guessing

Her name was Jennie Thring, born in New York, 1849. Subsequent 1925 Iowa state census names parents as Fredric and Mary, both born in England. I’m following up on a suggestion from this list and contacting the Children’s Aid Society in NY to see if they know where the old records might be. I have her indenture papers – very interesting reading. Thanks for your thoughts…

Searching my family tree I recently found by great uncles, Hubert and Edward Burr in the American Female Guardian Society and Home of the Friendless in Bronx, NY in the 1915 NY State Census. In 1915 Hubert was 8 and Edward was 10. Don’t know how long they were there. What I find surprising is that the family lived in Troy, NY. They probably were put there because they were the youngest of 7 children of by Great Grandmother who was a widow.

My husband’s grandfather was placed on an “Orphan Train” in NYC in November 1881, by the Home for the Friendless, with a Bible inscribed “When your mother and father forsake thee, then the Lord will take you up”. He was sent to a farming community in Hamburg Iowa. His name was Lewis Sailor. I wonder how I can get any more information about him?

My great grandmother’s youngest brother died here in infancy in 1881. Her father had died the year before, and her mother had three young children and was pregnant with the fourth. He died of measles and bronchitis, according to the death certificate. So sad. She apparently kept her other children, but I wonder why she decided to give this one up. I’m sure things must have been tough for her. She did remarry in 1886 to a much older man probably in the hopes of making her life a little easier, but she died of tuberculosis at age 54. What a tragic life!